HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire an animator in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to animators. Here is how to agree the script, revisions, ownership and licences before animation starts.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an animator in five steps

  1. Choose by showreelAn animator whose reel matches the style you want: 2D, 3D, character or explainer.
  2. Agree the script and lengthEvery extra second is more frames; fix the length and words first.
  3. Set revision rounds per stageScript, storyboard, design and animation, each with a number of rounds.
  4. Licence the voice and musicVoiceover and music cleared for your channels and how long you will use them.
  5. Get the animation assigned to youCopyright in the final animation passes to you on payment, in a signed clause.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses animators or animation studios in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. A showreel, a reference and written terms are what you have to go on.

Ask for a reel in your style and a client you can contact.

Copyright in the animation

An animated film is a copyright work, and under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 it belongs to the freelance animator until assigned. Section 90 requires the assignment to be in writing and signed by them.

Have the contract assign copyright in the final animation and its characters to your business on payment. legislation.gov.uk →

Voice, music and assets licensed

Music recordings and other creative works are protected by copyright automatically. Every track, sound effect, voice recording and stock asset in the animation needs a licence that covers your use.

Ask the animator to list each licensed element and where the licence lets you show it. gov.uk →

Credit and moral rights

Authors have a moral right to be named as the author, which can be waived only in a document signed by them under section 87 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Agree whether the animator is credited.

Put the credit, or a signed waiver, in the contract. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Animation is standard-rated, so a registered animator adds 20% to every stage payment, from storyboard to final render, and to voiceover or music bought in for you. Registration becomes compulsory once an animator has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the animator for the VAT number when the storyboard stage is agreed, and look for VAT shown on each stage invoice rather than folded into it. gov.uk →

“Which animation in your reel is closest to what I want?”

A good answer: A specific piece, with how long it took and what the client asked for.

“How many revision rounds are included at each animation stage?”

A good answer: Numbers per stage, and the cost of changes after animation has started.

“How long will my animation be, and what does each extra second cost?”

A good answer: An agreed length and a clear approach to any change in length.

“Who supplies the voiceover and music, and are they licensed?”

A good answer: Named sources, licences covering your channels and period, and the cost.

“Will I own the characters and the animation?”

A good answer: Yes, through a signed assignment; the animator explains anything they want to keep for their portfolio.

“What files will the animator deliver?”

A good answer: Final videos in the sizes you need, and project files if agreed and priced.

“What is the schedule, and what happens if my feedback is late?”

A good answer: Dates for each stage, and how a late sign-off moves the delivery date.

Getting the quote right

  • Length, style (2D or 3D) and the number of scenes or characters
  • Who actually attends to the animation: the animator whose reel you saw, an employee, or a subcontracted studio for some scenes
  • Revision rounds for script, storyboard, design and animation
  • Voiceover, music and sound design, with their licences
  • Delivery formats and any extra versions
  • Copyright assigned to you; credit or waiver agreed
  • Stage payments, dates
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on each stage payment as a separate figure

Walk away if

  • No reel in the style you need
  • Unlicensed music or voices
  • Animation starts before the storyboard is approved
  • No written limit on revisions
  • Refuses to assign the characters or animation
  • All payment before any storyboard
LOW
£250
TYPICAL
£800
HIGH
£3,000

What an animator costs: £250–£3,000 per project

Animators quote per project from length, style and complexity, often in stage payments; voiceover and music are priced in or added. Animator price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Animators near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ScriptThe message and words agreed, with timings.
  2. StoryboardScenes sketched to the script and approved.
  3. DesignCharacters, backgrounds and assets designed.
  4. AnimationScenes animated with voice and music, in agreed rounds.
  5. DeliveryFinal files, licences and the signed assignment.

Animatic
A rough timed version of the storyboard with sound, used before full animation.
Frame rate
How many frames make up each second of animation.
Rigging
Building the controls that let a character be moved.
Lip sync
Matching a character's mouth to the voiceover.
Render
Producing the final images or video from the animation software.
Explainer video
A short animation that explains a product or idea.

AFTER

When the job is done

File the assignment and licencesTogether with the final animation, so reuse in future campaigns is clear.
Watch every version throughWith sound, on the devices your audience uses; raise errors inside the agreed rounds.
Credit as agreedAdd the animator's credit where the contract says.
Review the jobRate the animator on the things that mattered to you: the result, the communication, the price. Anything wrong goes through make-it-right before the review is published.

STEP 1Set it out for the animatorExplain to the animator, in writing, which part of the job fell short and what you want done. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you ask for it to be put right at no extra cost, or for money back.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepBelow four stars, Locufy asks if the animator should be told first and given a chance. We follow it up; your review goes live once it has run its course.
STEP 3Trading StandardsWith no regulator for animators, the animator can be referred to Trading Standards by the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyIf the animator still will not refund or fix it, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an animator: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or qualification applies to animators in any UK nation.

The animator owns the copyright until it is assigned to you in a signed document. Include the characters, which you may want to reuse.

Yes. Recordings are protected by copyright, so voice and music need licences covering where and how long you will use the animation.

The range is £250–£3,000 per project, and £800 is a typical figure. Length, 2D or 3D, characters with lip sync and the voice and music budget set the fee. The animator price guide covers what changes it; enter your town above to compare local animators.

Each change can mean redrawing or re-rendering many frames; that is why approvals come at storyboard stage.

Short animations take days; explainers two to four weeks; 3D projects longer.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Motion Graphics DesignerHow to hire: IllustratorHow to hire: 3D ModellerHow to hire: Graphic DesignerHow to hire: Content CreatorHow to hire: Game DeveloperHow to hire: Brand DesignerHow to hire: Podcast EditorAll 701 hiring guides →

Animators near you

Animators in LondonAnimators in ManchesterAnimators in BirminghamAnimators in GlasgowAnimators in BelfastAll animators on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 77 — right to be identified as author
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 87 — consent and waiver
  3. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  4. gov.uk — how copyright protects your work
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register